David Cameron has promised to "stand together" with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism after holding talks with the country's newly-elected prime minister.

Mr Cameron, the first world leader to visit Nawaz Sharif since his surprise landslide victory in June, said the battle required "tough and uncompromising" action, as well as efforts to tackle the causes of extremism and radicalisation.

Afghanistan was high on the agenda for the Prime Minister following his visit to Camp Bastion and talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai a day earlier.

Afghanistan was on the agenda following Mr Cameron's visit to Camp Bastion

"I profoundly believe that a stable, prosperous, peaceful and democratic Afghanistan is in Pakistan's interest, just as a stable, prosperous, peaceful and democratic Pakistan is in Afghanistan's interest," Mr Cameron said.

He told Mr Sharif: "I know you and President Karzai will work together towards those ends."

Mr Cameron's visit came as a car bomb exploded in a market in Peshawar, killing 15 people and injuring 28. At least three children were among the dead.

Speaking after his meeting with Mr Cameron, Mr Sharif condemned the attack.

"Pakistan has suffered the most in terms of human and financial losses," he said.

"We are, therefore, resolved to tackle the menace of extremism and terrorism with renewed vigour and close cooperation with our friends."

Mr Cameron said Mr Sharif was in a "strong position" to put pressure on the Taliban to negotiate a peace deal.

"Pakistan has had this democratic transition, which ... will raise its profile in a thoroughly good way in the eyes of the world," he said.

The Prime Minister also used the talks to urge Pakistan to go "further and faster" in boosting trade links with the UK, after a Number 10 source said there was "potential for British business given the growth in the Pakistan economy".

Following this visit to Pakistan Mr Cameron became the first serving Prime Minister to visit Kazakhstan as he began a visit to the mineral-rich country with hopes of boosting British trade.

Mr Cameron follows in the footsteps of former prime minister Tony Blair who has played a key role in helping Kazakhstan's development since leaving office.

But campaign group Human Rights Watch has condemned President Nursultan Nazarbayev's. regime. Mr Nazarbayev has been in power since the Soviet era and has led the country's economic transformation on the back of its mineral wealth, but has been labelled a dictator by critics.

An open letter to the Prime Minister, signed by Human Rights Watch's UK director David Mephan, said the group had been documenting human rights abuses in Kazakhstan for over 15 years.

The Prime Minister said the issue would be on the table during the talks. He said: "On human rights, in all the relationships we have, there's never anything off the table, we raise and discuss all these issues and that will be the case in Kazakhstan as well.

"I think it is important to make this visit and it's very much something I chose and wanted to do.

"Kazakhstan is one of the rising economic powers in the world. I think it's very important that British business, British investment and British firms get a proper chance in Kazakhstan, they're doing that, I want to help them to do that."